Did you know that Nevada is home to over 600 ghost towns? One of those many towns include Rhyolite, which was founded in 1904, when two prospectors named Frank “Shorty” Harris and Ernest “Ed” Cross discovered high-grade ore. The area was located on the western border of Nevada, and it was named Bullfrog, after its green rocks. Soon, it became known as the Bullfrog Mining District, as the number of mining camps grew in numbers in the nearby areas.
By 1905, in the heart of the Bullfrog Mining District, Rhyolite’s town was born. It stood for its valuable gold ores, which attracted many by the thousands. What started as two mining camps, became a successful town that garnered around 5,000 people. Later in 1906, the town’s success attracted the attention of Charles M. Schwab who later bought the Bullfrog Mining District. This allowed sidewalks, streetlamps, telephone lines, and plumbing to be put in place, which many mining boomtowns did not have. The purchase of the Bullfrog Mining District only elevated its success.
Rhyolite and the Bullfrog Mining District produced over a million dollars in three short years (27 million in today’s money). However, Rhyolite would soon decline as rapidly as it came to life. As the highly valuable ore diminished, rail services were disrupted by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. These railroads were connected to the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad.
1910 was the year mines began closing and businesses failed. People who worked in this town sought employment in other areas. Post offices, banks, and the train station shut down, and eventually the town lost its power. Only 14 residents remained by 1920.
Later, Rhyolite’s buildings, which were made of stone and timber, were recycled and reused for other purposes.
Today, Rhyolite’s ruins still remain. Rhyolite is located near Beatty, Nevada, next to Death Valley, and it remains as one of the most famous ghost towns in Nevada. Thank you to the Nevada State Museum for bringing these eerie, historical towns to light!
Related Link
Discover Rhyolite Ghost Town Near Las Vegas, Nevada
Photo credit: Rhyolite Mercantile, a general store built in 1906 that burned to the ground in September 2014 after being hit by lightning (image taken circa 2007). Pierre Camateros, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
